Workers Press no. 702

workers press Clydebank 2,500 jobs still undecided

NOTHING SETTLED

ON CLYDESIDE

BY AN INDUSTRIAL CORRESPONDENT

THE GOVERNMENT decision to invest €35m in the upper Clyde is in no sense a victory for the working class. The Govan-Scotstoun-Linthouse com- plex is expected to provide employment for 4,300 people.

There is no hope of a future in for the fourth yard, shipbuilding Clydebank. Its fate depends on the interest shown in it by two American firms, one concerned with drilling rigs and the other with liquid-gas carriers. This is still very much in the air.

Trade Secretary John Davies has said only that he is 'guardedly hopeful' that 'a proportion' of Clydebank's 2,500 labour force might be employed on the American projects if one of them goes through. So, out of 8,500 men employed by UCS at the time of its liquidation last July, the present deal offers jobs only to 4,300, with a possibility that some of the Clyde- bank 2,500 may get work. In other words, the trade union lead- ers and the Stalinists have accepted at least 1,700 redundancies, and the figure could reach as high as 4,200 jobs lost.

also, that the whole lot Remember, could fall through in what Davies describes as a 'dull and difficult market for new ships'. Clyde workers know that at Scotstoun the last keel on order has been laid and that Govan has orders for only one year. So, what sort of 'victory' is this? And, just as important, on what terms has it been bought?

A few difficulties 'few difficulties' Davies anticipates in reaching agreement with the unions on the details of the plan. Indeed, he lavished Dan praise on McGarvev. Boliermakers' Society president and chairman of the shipbuilding com- mittee of the Confederation of Shipbuild- ing and Engineering Unions.

MeGarvey, said Davies, "had played a consistently constructive and helpful role'. McGarvey, in his turn, has now said that the Tory decision to liquidate UCS was justified. He was 'inclined to agree, he said, that on the facts now available. it would have been impossible to set UCS on a firm financial footing with the f6m that was requested when the company went into liquidation. The Tory government, according to 'were handed McGarvey, this particular hot potato and have done the best they could with it. This mutual backslapping is highly sus- picious. When the Tories laid down their conditions for a reconstruction of Upper Clyde Shipbuilders last July, they included the standardization of ship production; the radical reconstruction of the management; and the negotiation of more productive working agreements. They also sought to raise supplementary

INCORPORATING THE NEWSLETTER

• WEDI

DAILY ORGAN OF THE CENTRAL COM

The Tory government Dan. rupted UCS, thereby jeopard- izing the jobs of 8,500 men.

They are now. apparently. for a partial opening of UCS labour force, with a limited whilst several thousand other workers are thrown on the dole. it is strongly Moreover, rumoured that the trade union side has agreed to three-shift working and other major con- cessions of discipline which will be inflicted on the smaller labour force fortunate enough to remain at work. Here is a precedent which is both treacherous and dangerous for the future of trade unionism. If a plan like this is agreed, then any employer in the country can come along and say that unless he has agree- ment to shed his workforce by several thousand, under conditions where the remainder work harder, then he will have to go out of business. Threat The threat of unemployment is here being used to drive down hard-won trade union conditions in the teeth of an economic crisis which may well mean thousands more being thrown out of work at a moment's notice at a later date. What we wrote on September 8, last year capital from private, particularly Scottish, sources. Only the hope of attracting private capital has been abandoned, at a time when the government is anxious to appear to be doing something about unemploy- ment. We made it clear in Workers Press as long ago as last September that if the gov- ernment, backed by rising unemployment, could get speed-up changes in the yards, they would be willing to invest in them.

Headlined Beware of a Tory Trap at UCS' we wrote on September 8, 1971, what is reproduced on this page.

Jimmy Reid, Stalinist spokesman for the shop stewards, has said he is 'very pleased at Davies' statement.

He has expressed no disagreement with McGarvey, who now justifies the liquida- tion last July. The truth is that the reformists and Stalinists are prostrate before the Tories.

In practice, they have accepted the Indus- trial Relations Act. Those Clyde workers who do not lose their jobs face speed-ups, three-shift working and no-strike pledges.

The Clyde agreement sets the pattern for the type of intensive-exploitation ship- building industry that the Tories want.

This is where reformist and class colla- borationist trade unionism leads the work- ing class. There are very big struggles ahead on ary the Clyde. INCORPORATING THE NEWSLETTER • WEDNESDAY MARCH 1, 1972• No. 702 • 4p DAILY ORGAN OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE SOCIALIST LABOUR LEAGUE

BUT TORY PRAISE

LAVISHED ON THIS

MAN McGARVEY LINCHPIN in the Tory deal over Upper Clyde Shipbuilders Dan McGarvey, president of the Amalgamated Society of Boilermakers, Shipwrights, Blacksmiths and Structural Workers. And speech in his parliament, Trade Secre- Davies Lary JOnn Dald well justified Tribute McGarvey's *consistently constructive and helpful role. Gravy pie radio GET-rich-quick merchants and fly-by-night boys trying radio gravy bowl, claimed in a Commons His move that the £100,000 with was lost. 1972 • No. 702 • 4P

E SOCIALIST LABOUR LEAGUE

He said that McGarvey had co-operated fully in trying to make this phoenix rise again. Throughout the UCS struggle the Communist Party members control- ling the work-in' have consistently stated there is 'no divergence of views between them and McGarvey. When can we expect Davies to pay tribute to the Clyde Stalinists? ants and fly-by-night boys had heir fingers in the commercial rald Kaufman (Lab. Manchester) s Standing Committee yesterday.

mme contractors should deposit anned Independent Broadcasting at the end of the contract period

BRITISH - LEYLAND

announced yesterday that *the entire commitment and future prospects' of the Bathgate factory, Scotland, would have to be reviewed following a decision by car workers to continue their seven- week strike. More than 3,000 hourly- paid workers in the truck and tractor plant voted over- whelmingly to continue their fight for better wages. The men want a substantial increase to make up the disparity between wages at Bathgate and Cowley at Oxford. A company statement issued late yesterday said: *The company has done its utmost to try and explain the serious position that has arisen due to the strike and the even more serious situation that will result due to its inability to meet its delivery and financial com- mitments. In view of this, the results of today's meeting are disappointing.' Earlier this week Leyland's chairman, Lord Stokes, vowed to close down Bathgate 'by the end of the month' if the strike con- tinued. THE 4,500 workforce at Massey Ferguson, Coventry, were sent, home yesterday as toolroom workers went on strike over their pay claim. About 40 toolroom men went on strike on Monday and yes- terday they joined by were about 250 allied toolroom work- ers. The strike follows the deci- sion last year to end the Cov- entry toolroom agreement (TRA) which set the pace for engineers' pay. When the TRA was aban- doned workers, including those Massey. Ferguson, at began individual plant bargaining.

The company has offered £46.36 but the allied bonus is much less than what the men want.

workers press Clydebank 2,500 jobs still undecided

NOTHING SETTLED

ON CLYDESIDE

BY AN INDUSTRIAL CORRESPONDENT

THE GOVERNMENT decision to invest £35m in the upper Clyde is in no sense a victory for the working class. The Govan-Scotstoun-Linthouse com- plex is expected to provide employment for 4,300 people.

There is no hope of a future in fourth yard, shipbuilding for the Clydebank. Its fate depends on the interest shown in it by two American with drilling • one concerned hrms, rigs and the other with liquid-ras carriers. This is still very much in the air.

'a proportion' of Clydebank's 2,500 labour force might be employed on the American projects if one of them goes through. So, out of 8,500 men employed by UCS at the time of its liquidation last July, the present deal offers jobs only to 4,300, with a possibility that some of the Clyde- bank 2,500 may get work. In other words, the trade union lead- ers and the Stalinists have accepted at least 1,700 redundancies, and the figure could reach as high as 4,200 jobs lost.

Remember, also, that the whole lot could through in what Davies describes as a 'dull and difficult market for new ships'. Clyde workers know that at Scotstoun the last keel on order has been laid and that Govan has orders for only one year. So, what sort of 'victory' is this? And, just as important, on what terms has it been bought?

A few difficulties 'few difficulties' Davies anticipates in reaching agreement with the unions on the details of the plan. Indeed, he lavished Dan praise on McGarvey, Boliermakers' Society president and chairman of the shipbuilding com- mittee of the Confederation of Shipbuild- ing and Engineering Unions.

MeGarvey, said Davies, 'had played a consistently constructive and helpful role. McGarvey, in his turn, has now said that the Tory decision to liquidate UCS was justified. He was 'inclined to agree', he said, that on the facts now available, it would have been impossible to set UCS on a firm financial footing with the £6m that was reauested when the company went into liquidation. according The Tory government, to McGarvey, 'were handed this particular • hot potato and have done the best they could with it'. This mutual backslapping is highly sus- picious. When the Tories laid down their conditions for a reconstruction of Upper Clyde Shipbuilders last July, they included the standardization of ship production; the radical reconstruction of the management; and the negotiation of more productive working agreements. They also sought to raise supplementary the

INCORPORATING THE NEWSLETTER • WEDI

DAILY ORGAN OF THE CENTRAL COM

The Tory government Data rupted UCS, thereby jeopard- zing the jobs of 8,500 men.

they are now, apparently, for a partial opening of UCS with a limited labour force, whilst several thousand other workers are thrown on the dole. Moreover, it is strongly rumoured that the trade union side has agreed to three-shift working and other major con- cessions of discipline which will be inflicted on the smalles labour force fortunate enough to remain at work. Here is a precedent which both treacherous and trade unionism. If a plan like this is agreed, then any employer in the country can come along and say that unless he has agree- ment to shed his workforce by several thousand, under conditions where the remainder work harder, then he will have to go out of business. Threat The threat of unemployment is here being used to drive down hard-won trade union conditions in the teeth of an economic crisis which may well mean thousands more being thrown out of work at a moment's notice at a later rate. What we wrote on September 8, last year capital from private, particularly Scottish, Only the hope of attracting private capital has been abandoned, at a time when the government is anxious to appear to be doing something about unemploy- We made it clear in Workers Press as long ago as last September that if the gov- ernment, backed by rising unemployment, could get speed-up changes in the yards, they would be willing to invest in them.

Headlined 'Beware of a Tory Trap at UCS' we wrote on September 8, 1971, what is reproduced on this page.

Jimmy Reid, Stalinist spokesman for the shop stewards, has said he is 'very pleased' at Davies' statement.

He has expressed no disagreement with McGarvey, who now justifies the liquida- tion last July. The truth is that the reformists and Stalinists are prostrate before the Tories.

In practice, they have accepted the Indus- trial Relations Act. Those Clyde workers who do not lose their jobs face speed-ups, three-shift working and no-strike pledges.

• The Clyde agreement sets the pattern for the type of intensive-exploitation ship- building industry that the Tories want.

This is where reformist and class colla- borationist trade unionism leads the work- ing class. There are very big struggles ahead on ary the Clyde.

• WEDNESDAY MARCH 1, 1972

AL COMMITTEE OF THE SOCIA

LINCHPIN in the Tory deal Upper over Clyde Shipbuilders Dan McGarvey, president the Amalgamated Society of Boilermakers, Shipwrights, Blacksmiths • and Structural Workers.

And in his speech in parliament,_ Trade Secre- tary John Davies paid 'a tribute to well justified McGarvey's 'consistently constructive and helpful role. Gravy pie radio GET-rich-quick merchants and been trying to get their finge radio gravy bowl, Gerald Kaufr claimed in a Commons Standing His move that programme cont £100,000 with the planned Ind Authority, returnable at the end was lost. • 4p No. 702

• SOCIALIST LABOUR LEAGUE

He said that McGarvey had co-operated fully 'in trying this to make phoenix rise again'. Throughout the UCS struggle the Communist Party members control- ling the 'work-in' have consistently stated there is 'no divergence of views' between them and McGarvey. When can we expect Davies to pay tribute to the Clyde Stalinists? ants and fly-by-night boys had heir fingers in the commercial ald Kaufman (Lab. Manchester) • Standing Committee yesterday.

mme contractors should deposit nned Independent Broadcasting t the end of the contract period Bathgate carworkers vote to strike on

BRITISH - LEYLAND

announced yesterday that 'the entire commitment and future prospects of the Bathgate factory, Scotland, would have to be reviewed following a decision by car workers continue their seven- week strike. More than 3,000 hourly- paid workers in the truck and tractor Dialil over- whelmingly their fight for better wages. The men substantial want increase to make up the disparity between Bathgate and wages Cowley at Oxford. company statement issued late yesterday said: "The done utmost to and explain the ere to poetr that has arisen and the ever that will more serous result due to its inability to meet delivery and nnancial the view today's meeting are results disappointing' Earlier this week Leyland's chairman, Lord Stokes, vowed close 'by the end down bangate. if the strike OI the month' con- tinued. Toolroom trouble breaks out again THE 4,500 workforce at Massey Ferguson, Coventry, were sent, home yesterday toolroom workers went on strike over their pay claim. About 40 toolroom men went st they on Monday and yes- terday were joined about 250 allied toolroom WOrk-

CIS.

The strike follows the deci- sion last year to end the Cov- entry toolroom agreement (TRA) which set the pace for engineers Day. When the TRA was aban- on Masorker, erguson, including those individual planE arraining.

Massey began The company has offered £46.36 but the allied bonus much less than what the men want.

PAGE 2 Workers Press, Wednesday March 1, 1972

AROUND THE WORLD

THE OUTCOME of President Nixon's visit to China represents another significant shift to the right by the Chinese Stalinist leaders. The two sides reached no agreement on Vietnam, where the N Vietnamese government has shown itself bitterly hostile to a backstage deal against the revolution in Indo-China.

The agreements on trading concessions are relatively in- significant compared with the This betrayal followed China's withdraw American plan to support for Mrs Sirimavo Banda- troops from Formosa, opening She ranaike in Ceyion. recently the for settlement the Chinese government way a thanked Chairman Mao and for its 'gencrous' action in send- between Generalissimo Kai- ing gunboats to aid the suppres- Chiang sion of the left-wing JVP revolt. shek. The brutal suppression of this In pursuit of their own national and bureau- struggle was also supported by narrow, interests, the Chinese Britain and the US. cratic indicated their leaders clearly China further signalled its willingness to come to terms with intentions counter-revolutionary Nationalist dic- the corrupt Sudanese by backing President tatorship of Formosa. Numeiry when he executed This is being pre- of leaders the Sudanese Com- of the pared behind the backs munist Party. Chinese workers and peasants In order to prepare the ground did Nixon and who not meet the rapprochement at home for have no of means expressing imperialism, the with American their position on the question. Stalinist leadership has under- Chiang, leader of the defeated taken an extensive purge of the Chinese bourgeoisie, has осси- army eliminating potential oppo- Formosa his pied ever since sitionists like in Piao. forces were driven off the main- by the the The logic of the Peking agree- land victory 1949 Chinese revolution ment leads towards some form entirely parasitic of recognition of Formosa under His regime is Chiang on the US, relying for its exist- Kai-shek province sums of mili- Chinese People's Repub. ence on of the tary aid from Washington during lic. with Both Peking and Taipeh have its lengthy confrontation China. long maintained that Formosa Chiang's huge armed forces integral China. And an part of US Seventh Chiang backed by the Kai-shek is now under are. Fleet American drop his and resident pressure to bombastic garrison of some 10,000 men.

claims to the Chinese presidency.

His This vast expenditure-running regime has been already $100m a evicted from the United Nations to more than year-s proving a considerable economic and forced. off to break diplo- burden US, of on the without any matic relations with a spate - including Britain compensating political beneht.

CounTried Nixon must rid himself of this which have Mao's recognized China. he embarrassing client state His closest Asian ally, Japanese is rely the of to on treachery Chinese the Stalinist leadership premier Eisaku Sato, yesterday declared Formosa against the Asian revolution. that is part Maoist has of the People's Republic.

The bureaucracy There is repeated indications of its given every indication that readiness to collaborate with im- the Maoists would be prepared Chiang's perialism against the workers and to tolerate rule on of Formosa peasants Asia. so long as he formally It supported the Yahya accepts the supremacy of Peking.

Khan dictatorship in Pakistan against This would then open the way the of Bangla Desh, for closer links between Peking people supplying and and Washington and the prepara- equipment guns to the which butchered tions of fresh betrayals under army hundreds banner of of thousands of the 'peaceful ben- co- galis. existence'. ISRAEL has warned the Lebanon He bluntly warned Beirut to that it will take further military draw the bitter lesson of Jordan following four days of -implying that the guerrillas action, Israeli strikes across the border, would have to be disciplined by if the Lebanese do not curb the Lebanese government just as King Hussein did in Jordan.

Arab mounted guerrilla attacks from their territory. Beirut newspapers have been passed The suggesting that the government warning Cairo through channels during should revoke the agree- in which ment under which the country the four-day operation, troops reported killing at allows the guerrillas to Israeli operate least 50 guerrillas, demolishing along its border. scores of houses and seizing arms Caught between the right-wing Lebanese which caches. government Yigal has stomach for Israeli deputy premier clearly. no fight with Israel-and the Zionist Allon said the action was "aimed demonstrating the kind of forces, the guerrillas at are in the action we will take in the future dangerous position in end to the terror. Lebanon. to put an prices and reforms by the end of COMMON Market farm minis- March would lead to a loss of made little a ters progress in Brussels credibility for the council of on two-day session ministers and would have serious deciding farm prices and for EEC farming. although their reform measures deadline The farm price question is self-imposed is only tied with the deep closely up two weeks away. following political split Luxembourg agricultural min- the Jean - Pierre Buchler American of currency measures ister August 15 last year. described the session as unable The meeting take did. how- family gathering to agree ever, on the need for further a decision in this important sec- increases for farm produce, tor'. price Josef Ert) " including." meat, daity products W Germany's , and cereals., warped, that, failure, 59. agree on THE Soviet newspaper 'Izvestia' has listed five Arab countries which, it claims, successfully com- bine an anti-imperialist foreign policy with 'pro- gressive' policies at home. They are Egypt, Syna, Iraq, Algeria and S Yemen, and several others which it did not name. The paper's list was published on February 23-the day • that two members of the Libyan Revolutionary Command Coun- cil arrived in Moscow. The two men, Majors_Abdel Salam Jalloud and Mustafa Kharroubi, did not have the same high-level reception as an Iraqi delegation which came two weeks earlier. The Iraqis came by invitation of both the government and the Communist Party, a move which growing underlines ties between the Stalinists and the ruling Ba'ath Socialist Party of Iraq. A high-level Egyptian delega- tion has also visited Moscow recently, and a member of the Soviet Communist Party's polit- buro recently had talks with Syrian leaders in Damascus.

the Iraqi and Syrian Both Ba'athists are violently anti- communist, persecuting left- wingers with fanatical zeal.

The Libyan government instrumental in defeating July coup last year against Sudanese president Numeiry who proceeded to execute the leaders of the Sudan CP. JAIL sentences of up to ten years have been demanded by the Turkish state prosecu- tor for 24 people charged with taking part in a univer- sity sit-in in April 1969.

The occupation of Ankara's Middle East Technical University was broken up by the army in March last year, killing at least three people. The offences alleged against the defendants took place before the imposition of martial law, but the Appeal Court has ruled that the military court is com- petent to try them. All the defendants have denied charges. They include uni- the versity professor Mumtaz Soysal who said he was not involved in the university occupation but had a mediator acted between as students and the army. Japanese steel mills freeze their investment SIX major Japanese steel mills are considering plans to freeze all capital investment for the next three years to meet • the effects of the international recession. A spokesman for the Nisshin Steel Corporation said yesterday that present capacity, plus facili- ties already being built, would be enough to meet steel require- ments in 1975. The six companies involved in the cut-back include Nippon Steel Corporation, Japan's big- gest industrial concern, Kawasaki Steel Corporation, Nippon Kokan •K.K., Sumimoto Metal Industries, cts Kobe. Steel Ltd, and Nisshin Steel company. THE DAILY TELEGRAPH', the voice of the Tory Party, yesterday gave a frank piece of advice to the Heath government. the miners' strike the editorial tells the government to get prepared for the next round. It says: 'Since it is obvious that the government misjudged the situation, and, in particular, underestimated the ruthless- ness of the National Union of Mineworkers, nobody can blame Mr Wilson for making the most of his opportunity.

But the lessons Mr Wilson would have us learn are the "The real criticism of the government's handling of the dispute is that it was unprepared for a fight to the finish; when it became evident that the mineworkers were pre- pared, the government caved in.'

The 'Telegraph's' message is simple. It now wants the government to use the breathing space obtained by the miners' settlement to tool up for the bigger struggles an The Tories may have lost a battle, but they have still That is why Workers Press has con- sistently described the Wilberforce inquiry as a 'Red The historical parallel is important.

In July 1925 the Baldwin government bought time with the nine-month subsidy to the mine owners and by appointing a Royal Commission.

of This gave Baldwin the necessary time to prepare for his Yesterday's offensive during the General Strike. 1926 "Telegraph' editorial is a further pointer to the events in Britain in the coming period.

the THE CHILEAN government is ready to sign an undertaking that it will control public spending in order to obtain a three-year postponement of foreign debt repayments, President Salvador Allende said yesterday. Speaking in the main square of Antofagasta, a mining city he said he would in N Chile, of decree rationing some including meat, to foods. protect the country's develop- ment. British social- Like his fellow democrat Harold Wilson in 1966, Allende is now inflicting cuts on Chilean workers' living standards the requirements of the to serve bankers. international this policy, A GREEK shipping company- To through carry Compania Naviera- he has made a major shift to the Astrovlanis right within his cabinet-a move the life of 64-vear- has insured his old High Court judge Mr Justice that has been hailed by Mocatta for £100,000. Stalinist coalition partners as forward along the 'peaceful step road to socialism'. expected to accumulate in a court said the "Paris Club' Allende expected to last six weeks, creditor countries, chiefly the insurance Euro. United States, and Tanan company if the judge dies and it pean nations, would be asked to has to start all over again.

accept an alternative formula to proposed the Inter- one in Monetary Fund national in recent Paris talks. The final round of negotiations defendants-Llovd's of London- Chile's debts, S4,0Chm totalling nearly will take place in Paris there or ere shi this week and Dr Allende said that Chile this occasion perils of the would not accept the compromise of an IMF standby credit.

concede that the ship- carrying cement from Yugoslavia to Saudi-Arabia-appeared to be over-insured, they but this. say, the London not unusual in CUBANS will get one-third less shipping market. Wednesday from Two valuers, in fact, had given

MAYT

because of bad crops, the govern- the ship's valuation not at €88.000 the ment has anounced. £35,000 and £42,000. but at said Its communiqué the The company acquired the ship monthly ration will. be cut from in exchange for a luxury €90,000 6lb to 41b. villa near Athens. BANGLA DESH premier Sheikh Moscow has said that Mujib's Mulibur left Dacca Rahman talks with Prime Minister vesterday for a four-dav visit to Alexei Kosygin and other 'Soviet big- the Soviet Union. He is seeking officials- -will be exploratory and largely large-scale Soviet aid for his devoted to economic war-battered matters. country's economy The talks are expected to lead and. hones for agreement on trade and technical co-oberation. to further exchange between the The Bangla Desh embassy in two countries at expert level:

NHAI has happened to the March issue of ''Nova' , the • expensive middle-class maga- zine produced by IPC? Apparently the whole consign- ment is at Harwich in ja ware- be destroyed. house waiting to 'Nova', which is printed abroad, will lose about £40,000 as a result of the destruction of the latest issue. What made the publishers decide issue from to withdraw the sale? It appears: that the tatest has a feature article Prime Minister Edward Heath.

The article is not so much on Heath : himseif, li but i on fictitious mate. a What the magazine editors did was to feed a huge amount of material about Heath into a computer to try to compute-a- After noting, details of wife. height, weight, hobbies, his education, social preferences the etc, computer came up with the ideal Mrs Heath.

This is where the plot thickens.

The brains trust at 'Nova' went out and found a woman very similar to the one described by the computer. They interviewed her, filmed her and even painted a portrait of her.

week ago the stunt collapsed.

A It backfired in the corridors of power between IPC (the "Daily Mirror') and the government.

Now none of us will know just what sort of woman Edward Heath fancies. Bart bankrupt SONGWRITER Lionel Bart filed his own petition in bankruptcy yesterday and a receiving order was made against him. Mr Bart, composer of the musical 'Oliver', spent two hours in the office of Senior Examiner: Mr Cyril Howard. Docks stop WORK on six ships in Liverpool docks was held up yesterday due to a stoppage over an impedance award dispute involving more than 1,000 dockers. CRAFTSMEN printers, already Bon threatening industrial action over a pay claim, will be urged to go all out for a £l-an-hour the next basic rate during round of wage negotiations.

The Liverpool branch putting forward the proposal for the National Graphical Associa- tion's delegate meeting at Scar- borough in June. print unions Meanwhile, the are considering action after the breakdown in pay talks affecting 180,000 workers on provincial newspapers printing. The NGA national council will representatives from meet branches throughout the country tomorrow. No more meetings have been arranged with the employers and it is likely that the 300 branch delegates will be demanding action. The executive of the National Operative Printers, society of Graphical and Media Personnel equally angered by the offer, is meeting today. secretary John NGA general moves on GOVERNMENT ministers held further talks on Ulster at No 10 Downing St yesterday. The presence of the Lord Chancel- lor, Lord Hailsham, and the Attorney-General, Sir Peter Rawlinson, indicates that pos- sible legal moves against the IRA are being considered.

Secretary Reginald Home Maudling is under considerable pressure from Tory backbenchers to stop the IRA's propaganda and fund-raising activities in this country. Home Office experts: are examining whether existing legal powers are sufficient to deal with this, or whether new legislation might have to be considered.

Ulster trades with Vorster AN EIGHT-MAN N Ireland trade mission has just returned from S Africa with orders worth than Elm-about £200,000 immediate business and £950,000 the months.

BY AN INDUSTRIAL REPORTER

RON BROWN, works committee chairman at the Edinburgh power station, has been sacked from his job and expelled from his union for organ- izing support for the miners' strike. He is in the process of appealing to both the Scottish Electricity Board and his union, the Amalgamated Union of Engineering Workers, seek- ing reinstatement. ady Bonfield has said there is little chance of an improved offer without 'sharp and quick' in- dustrial action. The British Federation of Master Printers and the News- paper Society have offered £1.82 on the craftsmen's rate for a 15 month agreement. They are prepared to pay £2 if the union recommend it on a executives ballot vote. The unions have asked for up to £7 on. basic rates, but have suggested that 50 per cent of this could be absorbed where rates are already above the minimum.

Present rates are £22.68 in will London and £21.89 and £21.75 in the provinces. The NGA delegate meeting will also be urged by the Kent branch to back a call for a 35- be hour week. 'There considerable is a amount of concern, not only at increasing redundancies, but at the effect on job prospects of economic and technical changes in the industry" said Joe Wade, ohn NGA assistant general secretary. Workers Press, Wednesday March 1, 1972 PAGE 3

DY OUR INDUSTRIAL CORRESPONDENT

WITH the Industrial Relations Act only in the first days of operation, the giant General and Municipal Workers' Union has taken steps to ensure its safe implementation. Workers Press placed in the pay the trade union principle In fact, notification the that of 1 alastical C11- employees given recommend closed shop. was circulat ployees at P. B. Cow Under the Act on Friday. the vote was favour of this Streatham, the midday that union shop is an agree- proposal order company which makes Saturdav and the union MCnI between Mallarc" interapnons to produc Cow gum, ment and the unions on came into effect tion, which can cause which should on loss of earnings actersey clearly shows that Clause which men. the Lord Cooper's G&MWU Also under las arce- Heter ment workers have the how close the G&MWU can vir- ployment, spirit secuons of tually eliminated. choice either prepared to collabor- the hated Act. their subscrip This shows with management in U11Ul aLe The circular begins the Act. tons to me a•broomate enrorcing LOaT •Management have beer union or to an agreed states: not supporting the the G&MWU, 'One TUC's charity, the prin- policy non- who are the only recog- Workers at P. B. Cow cipal with the in favour rcasons co-operallon nized union to represent are incensed Act. And it is not even because shop is tual rubber hourly-paid they received disputes can be reduced abiding by the spirit of this deal its own 1971 workers, to decare los notific tion by the use of the agreed conference factory union shop

DIOCCULIC

Instead. have produced 25. Yet proposed unofficial action and the against registration. strong evidence for this ballot the subject union confirm that such The union is holding closed following establishment will special conference benall ol a the of employees.' enable them to act in an •av. as cave aosonten later us monte o es By asking time for the work orderly and disciplined cuss registration. Lord manage- discuss Cooper, noted ment for a union shop, to winger, implications the receipt last year's leadership Is on the une was TUC president. completely abandoning union shop proposal. assurance ATTI halves pay demand

REPRESENTATIVES

50,000 teachers and polytechnics have officially Cul mier to a crosa lot Association of Teachers in Tech- nical Institutions confirmed yes- terday. said that the claim spokesman for the ATTI was now d er cen cent instead of 25 of the total salary of £150m fo: further education On February during the and the On Monday management general national the present coal offered per den Talks policies during •rown mended orcane a stoopart teachers rejected. were power workers in support industry dispute. tne miners. said the The minute completely clarifies spokesman

ATTI

Edinburgh The strike partially suc- the position executive would meet this Frdav was situation discuss the after cessful-despite strong threats by engineers' leadership in relation two-day talks starting pay some unions mOAT tneir members the Ske eve Thursday, which will would be disciplined they who fought tooth-and-nail for and seven weeks should take note!

380.000 primary secondary Tenters. 15, the AUEW's who has just been They £5-a- are demanding

VI DIOWL.

discharged hospital, week all-round rise—a 13.7-per- from was ine Iolowing comment yester- day. offered 6 per cent. recommend executive that Brother R

DIOWI

expelled from membership the terms of Rule 22, Clause I.

district com- mittee state that Brown was seer on the Kincardine power station where he was to site Wednesday March I, Make the Tory government for circulating written matter Arms, pom resign! ine purpose or encouraging mem Churchfield bers all National Joint Indus- Return & Libour government Council

(NJIC)

must force a Genera decion.

trial trade unions pledged to restore full employ- March to take strike action. 2, 8 р.M. Town Hall, Bdmon The leaflet stated and ropea! all laws that the strike action was in response to axainst the unions! party the 'inadequate settlements the trade recently accepted by unions at national level.

Extraordinarily, the however, details of this complaint did not sources. trade union complaint the was filed electncily Moscow Trials Anthology board's personnel officer.

Paperback, 621p The minutes also revealed that

MAX SHACHTMAN:

secretary, Mr the union's district Behind The Moscow Trial Tackede. went tO COCKCILIC Ferock e power station on February I1 to

ROBERT BLACK:

members work nstruct Stalinism In Britain he normally' But Keddie -cloth 22 says Paperback £1.124- Mr Brown urging members of the Death Agony of Capitalism

NJIC

unions to withdraw trade The Transitional Programme) The Edinburgh district Class Nature of the Soviet State COl- mitte's responmedo Mr Browhis amphlet 20 summed n Defence of the October paragraph from the minutes: Revolution Pamphlet 15p The Theory and Practice of 'Concern was expressed by Revisionism Pamphlet 15p members, consulter Postage 10p per book, 3p per particularly in regard to the mis- of members' Order from : representation

NEW PARK PUBLICATIONS

the electricity supply 186a Clapham High Street, industry in this division, and at London SW4 7UG the false view, represented. to

PAGE 4 Workers Press, Wednesday March 1, 1972

YOUNG SOCIALISTS

NATIONAL

RIGHT-TO-WORK

CAMPAIGN

There are now well over one million people out of work in Britain, the highest joblessness for a quarter of a century.

These huge levels of unemployment are as a direct result The Young Socialists' Right-to-Work cam- of Tory policies. paign is a challenge to these policies and, therefore, the continued rule of this government.

MARCHERS

ARRIVE

SATURDAY MARCH 11

The marchers will arrive at the outskirts of London and will be greeted at: EAST INDIA HALL, East India Dock Road, E14. 7 pm

HANWELL

COMMUNITY

CENTRE,

Westcott Crescent, LIME GROVE BATHS, Shepherds Bush, W12. 7pm

RALLY

EMPIRE POOL WEMBLEY

SUNDAY MARCH 12, 3 p.m. Speakers: G. HEALY (SLL National Secretary) CLIVE NORRIS (National Secretary of Right-to- Work Campaign) JOHN BARRIE (YS leader of Glasgow march)

CHRISTINE

SMITH

(YS leader of Liverpool march) MIKE BANDA (Socialist Labour League Central Committee The following in a personal capacity:

ALAN

THORNETT

(Deputy senior steward, Morris Motor) BRIAN LAVERY (National Union of Mineworkers, Wheldale colliery)

SIDNEY BIDWELL, MP

Chairman: CLIFF SLAUGHTER (Socialist Labour League Central Committee) TOP LINE ENTERTAINMENT, 7.30 p.m.

SPIKE MILLIGAN. PAUL JONES. 'ROCK 'N ROLL ALL

STARS. RAM JOHN HOLDER. ANNIE ROSS. GEORGE

MELLY. LESLIE DUNCAN.

ROCK & ROLL ALLSTARS

Spike Milligan Tickets: £l, unemployed 50p Apply to: Clive Norris, National Right-to-Work Campaign, 186a Clapham High St, London, SW4 7UG Phone: 01-622 7029

MARCH

THROUGHOUT LONDON

MONDAY MARCH 13

Assemble: 10 am, Speaker's Corner, Marble Arch March: 11 am through West End to the Temple.

MASS LOBBY

OF PARLIAMENT

Lobby your Labour MP: 2pm Meeting: 4.30 pm Central Hall, Westminster : Commenced Feb 5

GLASGOW

Feb 19

LIVERPO

Commenced Feb 19

SWANSEA

YOUNG SOCIALISTS

SUNDAY MARCH 12

EMPIRE POOL, WEMBLEY, RALLY 3 p.m.

TOP LINE ENTERTAINMENT, 7.30 p.m.

SPIKE MILLIGAN. PAUL JONES. 'ROCK

ROLL ALL STARS'.

RAM JOHN

HOLDER. ANNIE ROSS. GEORGE MELLY.

LESLIE DUNCAN.

Tickets: f1, unemployed 50p I would like to come to the rally

NAME

ADDRESS

I would like tickets Amount enclosed f Please send details of transport to the Empire Pool Complete form and send to : Clive Norris, Right-to-Work Campaign, 186a Clapham High St, London, SW4 7UG. Commenced

LIVERPOOL

26th day DERBY on the road 12th day on the road

BIRMINGHAM

5th day on the road.

LONDON

12th day

FAVERSHAM

road Arrive

BRISTOL

March 11

DEAL

Commenced Feb 26

YOUNG SOCIALISTS

NATIONAL

RIGHT-TO-WORK

CAMPAIGN

We are marching from

GLASGOW FEBRUARY 5—LIVERPOOL

FEBRUARY 19-SWANSEA FEBRUARY

9—DEAL FEBRUARY 26 to a mass rally a MPIRE POOL, WEMBLEY on MARCH I:

WANTED URGENTLY

Accommodation Cooking equipment Tinned food Finance Brass/Jazz bands Please tick box where applicable

NAME

ADDRESS

PHONE NUMBER

Please complete above form and post to : Clive Norris, National Secretary, Right-to-Work Campaign 186a Clapham High St, London, SW4 7UG Or phone 01-622 7029.

BY JOHN SPENCER

The Penarroya lead-foundry, at Gerland, near Lyon in France, has been on strike for the last three weeks. The workers are occupying the factory with the backing of the local population and the support of other Penarroya foundries throughout France.

strikers, The most of them N African workers, are not just asking for more money. They say their lives and their health are no longer for sale. Their foundry belongs to the world's largest lead producing company. It is not some back- cutting street concern corners to make a quick profit. It is owned by Baron Guy de Roth- schild, one of France's biggest hnanciers. employs 4,000 Penarroya France, workers in another 12,000 in 28 other countries.

Last year the company's sales income £111m and was reported profits after tax came to £6.42m. These profits cost the lives of like Mohammed men Salem, crushed under a furnace- door at Gerland last December.

He had already been injured six times. Conditions in the plant read like something from the worst of the industrial revolu- years tion. The furnaces are on the go 24 hours a day, seven days a week. There is hardly a man in the factory who has not been burned or maimed by the hot the moving heavy metal and machinery. The men work in a heat so intense that it melts the lenses of their protective goggles. Each man is expected to load ten tons of scrap metal into the furnace each day. Foremen are posted at a com- fortable distance from the fur- naces to ensure that the workers don't slip away to relieve their thirst. There is no ventilation, no fans to draw off the toxic lead- laden fumes. the workers, Most of as a result, have more than the safe level of lead in their blood. The management has never revealed the results of its own blood- tests, but at the Lyon work's sister factory in Saint Denis, near Paris, 90 per cent of the wor- kers are over the danger level.

Regulations say that the lead in the air must concentration never exceed 0.2 milligrams per cubic metre. But in the battery.

manufacturing plant, the con- centration is 15 times this level; in the metalworking and milling section, 50 to 100 times, and in 200 the lead recovery section times the safe concentration.

Lead-poisoning is an insidious creeping disease. It attacks the nerves and the brain, causing its victims to lose their sense of muscular their balance, co- ordination, their hearing, their sight and finally their life.

When workers begin to show the familiar signs, it is only too easy for the management to encourage them to leave 'of their own accord' and lose the right to compensation. To prevent lead-poisoning, , the workers are supposed to under- take strict hygienic precautions.

They must wash thoroughly all over their bodies, brush their hands and nails, gargle after every meal, blow their noses regularly into a cleán handker- chief. This sounds good in theory, . are no washing but at Lyon there facilities either in the factory itself or in the works canteen.

In any case, the workers are not allowed into the canteen during their eight daily working hours. They have to eat their meals in the shadow of the furnaces, with dirty hands and in soiled clothing. As for showers, at Lyon, there is one for every 30 workers, though the law lays down a minimum of one shower for every eight men. Top: Guy do Rothachlid, above and right, living condi- workers tions, four men to a room, forty men to a wash basin. Almost half the workers at Gerland actually live the premises. According to the management this IS great They live in barrack- privilege. style accommodation, four to room. The rooms measure seven 32 feet. feet by There is one one long washbasin shower and for every 40 inhabitants. Outside the from the fumes furnaces blow directly on the windows, while huge lorries drive and out of the factory in past the barracks throughout the day.

expected The night-shift are to sleep in this continual noise. fill When wanted men are gaps on the day-shift, the night- expected shift men are to get out of bed and fill the vocallu places. If they don't like it, they are threatened with eviction. For the 'privilege' of living. under these Rothschild de conditions, Baron stops 30 francs a month from their wages. For years the workers put up these conditions because with Most of choice. they saw them are Arabs, unable to com- the French who municate with alongside them and com- work by the trade pletely neglected unions. At the Saint Denis factory, the regard Arab workers came to of the the factory organization Stalinist-led CGT 'the bosses formed their union' and own after separate organization young French worker had talked them realizing the pos- into sibility of struggling to improve conditions. their The management, aided by the succeeded union leaders, Saint Denis workers dividing the The their Lyon brothers. trom two factories came out on strike 9. But February together on Saint Denis went back to work two days later. Lyon is still out As they and determined to win. put it: 'Our health and our lives are not for sale." Workers Press, Wednesday March 1, 1972 PAGE 5 Argentine president Alejan- dro Lanusse is currently touring Latin America to win support for his inflation- military dictatorship ridden from both left- and right-wing regimes. By the time he ends his first year in office in a month's time, he will have visited every major republic in the sub-continent.

Pursuing his policy of breaking down 'ideological frontiers', the 53-year-old former cavalry officer has diplomatic established relations with China and has met figures as such diverse political President Salvador Allende, head of Chile's Popular Front govern- and General Alfredo ment, Paraguay's pro-Nazi Stroessner, strongman. He has also been to Peru and Ecuador and received visits from Bolivian dictator Colonel Hugo Banzer and outgoing Uruguayan president General Pacheco Areco.

Last week Lanusse visited Colombia on his way to Venezuela, and the on his last list of projected calls is likely to delicate be the of all- Brazil, Argentina's 'big maJor power' Latin rival in America which he will visit on March 13.

General Lanusse, who seized power in a bloodless coup from General Roberto Levingston, has been criticized in his own country for home affairs for neglecting headline-catching the sake of foreign tours. The Argentine economy is in The desperate inflationary Spiral. of a series of 'hidden latest devaluations' of the peso, by around cent, was Aires central bank last week. The official peso exchange rate is now five pesos to the dollar.

When Lanusse took it power was four pesos to the dollar. The 'free market' exchanges dollars at 9.6 pesos to the dollar. Central bank president Carlos Brignone is currently leading an Argentine mission of on a tour American and European financial centres in a bid to secure credits totalling $1,000m to bolster the country's dwindling foreign ex- change reserves. Some other Latin American countries have taken retaliatory following action the latest devaluation. On the political front, General Lanusse's plan to restore.

civilian rule with general elections in March next year after almost years of military dictator- seven has led to bitter in-fighting ship, among would-be office-holders.

The figure only with an obvious popular the base is exiled former dictator Tuan Peron. Peron has said he will stand for But at 76, he may election. want the presidency for of one his supporters rather than take office himself. Peron's Argentina return to would be to arouse opposition from army leaders and sections of the middle class.

has survived already one army revolt against him, in the garrison town of Azul last motivated at least in part year, by officers' suspicions that he was flirting' with Peron. To win the 'great national accord' he has called for in the pre-election period, Lanusse needs at least Peron's benevolent neutrality. The Lanusse regime is a con- stant target for left-wing guerrilla including groups the so-called Revolutionary People's Army, supported by the 'Red Mole' in Britain. Tough security measures have been taken after a series of bank robberies and kidnappings organized by the guerrillas.

Under state-of-siege laws currently in Lanusse operation, has jailed many leading left-wing union leaders students and trade indefinitely and without trial. His regime has brutally sup. pressed strikes • and is now pre- paring to meet a two-day work stoppage February 29 and on March 1, when the trade unions 'have called a General Strike.

PAGE 6 Workers Press, Wednesday March 1, 1972

BY PHILIP WADE

Edward du When the Tories won the So the Consense Pary! orner Tran 1970 General Michuvi walke wasn a powellul busi Walke du Came wiel tion. One he Lealick the job made Minister or sousing the finance Local Government. Shortly after raising necessary show what a man the At just 39 years of age Peter Lucialive valuis. the people he his AIrcady Was Walker (right) holds a key He by standing on your invented was slicall position in the Tory govern- policy insurance Junked wild slums unit trust. It didn't do too well, ment—as head of the Depart- but business was booming Lambeth which has 12.000 name: of Environment ment anyway. list. on thé council with its multi-million went pound his early days Peter Indians with Walker was acterminca Lo which He of none attack as the uncil bine polluics with money, could only mean the Conserva- soft with housing and rents and as a ruth tive father had done their Party. mother and well- helped bringing him true denis ane utere was no venuid create the Slater Walker hnancia blupeter would alwalwask tion." empire. brave Minister Outside, the 1948, Walker ques- visibly when back 1n when looked shaken and was only tols ana i would always try lo white-faced he was help Edward Heath win answer sure Minister of Housing fight Parry leadership cent das tim.m not so hare ened that I think socialists are agains repent e our citie free havele ery so be biased, was to be found Maudling rights, good friends Accident Assurance mus resDeci uential socialists; Rose Walker desires and tastes of thi coms. the office we must nor Create walker was communities local authority youth Walker boy in charge or tea, sugar, milk for biscuits who switched the canvassilly la which world destro in 1971 he introduced a order from local, candidates At school he became council. smackered the div dad. Co-op oosessen with the Dollics or tre house building in Britain, right, going tar as to take Walker tenants his English master and A couple of years

ICILS

refute argument that : poverty those in Lambeth out on to thi break into business. As is it statord twice streets a serzeant in.une caucalion cords After losing Meanwhile tne anvironmen stationed [ne Lake Minister was seeing to his own Walker his Car-UD Decond humble He Undoubtedly insurance to squaddies. the thou- * house and arena, ol the •residential-stvie elecuons. pounds WaS seen SenDing over careen fences, running down streets and constituency bouts Walker family lived in a semi story Walker, is he came to be known course laye Walker', I10,000-pius limousine to go with Peter very riarrow. Was Tory ying fast and was elected it. impresseo a a ramily Irena wad 1971, when he brought in the Housin, Towards end freelance WaS auTe assurance Another occurred salesman. You see, was Finance Walker 1961 with car in that to confirm that Walker had involved in the • scandal street! arrived on tne scene. are Lon the his Department around Out decided wretched don Evening News published to then. articles starsir 340. whiz-kid planting of Walker DallalliCital y *e200 Id businessmen Walker tions to stifle Labour Opposition business. OWIl was questions. CaDilal Slate The reactionary nature of this his from borrowed molnel 'new-style' Tory Minister is con- The following year he managed type A scers one room firmed writer and a few to deepen still further his entry nuts C or utile. • bourgeois furniture. Still a long way from into unance 1962 philosopher Cabinet office

UNTI

reter walker Walker declared His mother Aparent he did very wel heen denied access to the word's largest insurance market, Lloyd's. while vIews on lat hilchicall of took were progressive Ior wall pla Eloyd's time with looking: broking walker wild police oncers. the oldest 'Whereas views hardly Chic Nevertheless. was more revolutionary aspects of th Thomson, big-time stuft, running the streets people against was In this i peret balance In 1964 Walker formed with death. the perfect coming. For Jim Slater, then one of Leyiana s was finance He saw what are the most soun brightest accountants, firm eventually nouves what were SOr rhe dangerous, sodesi dies.

conglomerate. the —unt austs. Here was an honourable way When he to join raise vast sums or monev che work g enticing small investors with the firm had built cabinel. Lne working makes class you sharing the sity the reputation

TOT

Ene wneer- what really going ach posites a he time as made • big cor- ing so-called Environment Cand the hao wonact ever seen. And walker hac mao a fortune in the process. MinistrV In the period 1964-1970, while forging Peter Walker was those vital links , with the upper reaches of the Tory Party, his other half, James Derrick Slater (left), known affectionately as jim, was one of the most proving shrewd and dynamic financial operators the City of London has ever seen. In 1963 you find Jim Slater leaving Leyland where he was deputy sales director and right- hand man to Donald (now Lord) Stokes and setting up his own investment advisory service. It brought in £75,000 a year.

Since 1964, when he teamed up with Walker, Slater has pro- gressed from the control of 500 . as chair- managing director The accumulation of this vast fortune in so short a period is often put down to Slater's ability to move faster than any- one else in the City. Whereas banks and the old merchant finance houses slumber along in 19th century style, taking weeks to make decisions, Slater sees a situation and moves quickly for the kill. As he himself puts it: 'It's like a knife and butter and we're the knife.' His objective: simply to become the biggest investment bank in the world. In many ways the background of 42-year-old Slater is similar in its narrowness to that of Peter Walker. of a N London The son came from that builder, Slater middle-class which lives on the ringes of the big city and whic s both philistine and ascetic Chairman Slater rather is non- than a smoker, apparently likes fees, he would do *Most tood and deinks, into the very little. self. To do this he uses businessmen best are Puritans,' he says laconically. He realized by the sale is also a qualified accountant.

and assets Peter Walker's expertise an True to the revolutionary tra- dition of English Puritanism, It was this next however, he does find time to be his lasted until about 1970. th absolutely ruthless in business dealing - which should the most fantastic rate of a him tions by Slater reward with place ment was made at such heaven on that score alone.

It makes illuminating reading that the City just to follow the intricate man- breath. In 1968 Slater Walker's oeuvres involved in the construc- We tion of this mighty empire. quadrupled in the he ideal climate in begin just as investment could exchange is wound advisory service up around 1963. paper for other Slater capitalizes his assets in valued assets. the company in order to avoid a fast enough Of the period Slater sas big bill and buys, with surtax soon as the ink was dry, Peter Walker, property com- bid we launched another' unlikely name of pany with the end of 1968 he had ama 1. Lottery From this base (soon renamed veritable industrial conglor Walker) he moves into There were 500 Slater which will later yield rich panies, assets of £50m and field ests in everything from spe advising take- experience: on to window-frames. over battles. But the danger signs be Slater soon discovered that clients' collecting hand take-overs business him better to and and more became more expen- The and the cash sive. empire was well of Lottery's scattered and truly was The with becoming impossible to hold it up Slater Walker's expertise and City together. without Between 1969 and 1970 there- shares Slater which for, executed a brilliant period. his own him that saw move, even by stand- ost fantastic rate of acquisi- and ended ards, up owning by Slater Walker; develop- bank, which then an assets proved to be the key to further was made at such a speed nearly development. lost its Slater proceeded to rid him- 968 Slater Walker's shares self of his industrial holdings in oped which, of course, proved price, providing a way in which Slater to be just as profitable, or per- was than if he over-valued haps more haps more prostable other people's under- Over assets. He couldn't move What he did was to lend sev- invested eral eager, embryonic tycoons is period Slater says: 'As around him money to buy the dry the companies while retaining on one launched another? By the himself. These "associated stake fe industrial conglomerate.

companies' he had amassed then was proceeded profits. When paid earn increased were 500 subsidiary borrowing they com- came money to Slater's bank. assets of f50m and inter- of course, that came, everything from spectacles At the time Slater began to which these buy up companies "associates' the danger signs began to might consider buy- prospect Workers Press, Wednes pushing ing themselves as they expanded.

Just did He got '10 per cent of the quick 10 per cent of the dead', Only as a colleague put it. Sussex transformation of the to rele: for bui Slater Walker empire was not without tribulations. In 1970 in part shares slumped badly and there around organized selling who o against Exchange. the Stock course. on Slater had made a few enemies In 1! on the way, it seemed. tion wi ings, sc Once he got over that, the per cer company went from one field to situatio From banking it devel- three c into the insurance field. month. Last year he decided the time Slate was at last ripe for an attack to stor on the property market. from it Over £20m has already been capitali invested in property and Slater and fl is apparently ready to spend 'We'r another £80m. amoeba survival One of his sharpest purchases Slater was made early this month. He very di a f‡m for 1,100 acres of rural Sussex and told the press That he 'enjoyed farming the on Oct day th land'. This comment caused some collapse cynical sniggers in the City; the selling. of him in gumboots

PAGE 8 Workers Press, Wednesday Marc Lenin had always stressed that the Russian revolution's fate was linked to the struggles of the German workers. He saw the German revolution as vital for the overthrow of world imperial- ism: 'In 1918, Germany and Russia have become the most striking material embodiment of the realization of the economic, the productive and the socio- economic conditions for social- ism on the one hand and the political conditions on the other.

'A successful proletarian revo- lution in Germany would immediately and very easily smash any sheil of imperialism .. and would bring about the victory The problems of building a Communist mass party in Ger- many and training a revolu- tionary leadership were there- fore central to the work of the Communist International from 1919 to 1923. One of the key lessons to be learned flowed from the attempt by the German communists to call a General Strike and launch an armed insurrection in March 1921. This was a time when workers in Berlin and Saxony, generally the most advanced, had become more cautious after their experi- ences of 1919 and 1920. Con- versely, the usually more back- ward workers of Central Ger- many kept up a stream of strikes and demonstrations. this situation In the German Communist Party-which had been formed early in 1921 out of a merger between the old Spar- tacus League and the majority of the Independent Party, who had broken from their Kautskyite leaders — decided correctly to move over to a more active policy of mass work. It made the mistake, however, of calling for a General Strike in the face of repressions by the Social Democratic government in Central Germany. the Although conditions for such a struggle existed in Central Germany, and the strike call there met with a response, this was not the case in other parts of the country. The Communist Party had not had the time to rally workers in such key centres as Berlin, Dresden and Munich.

There had been real no preparation for a General Strike.

The party had never led an action of this magnitude and though growing rapidly (it had a some 400,000 in membership of March, 1921) it was still faced with two mass Social Democratic parties and trade a union apparatus hostile to it. Trotsky made this point very clearly: 'During the period of revolu- tion there were not a few blood- lettings in Germany and the police offensive against Central Germany could not in and of it- self have immediately raised the entire working class to its feet.

'Every serious mass action must obviously be preceded by large-scale, agitation, energetic action slogans, centring around all hitting on one and the same point. Such agitation lead can to more decisive calls for action only if it reveals, after probing.

that the masses have already been touched to the quick and are ready to march forward on the path of revolutionary action.

"This is the ABC of revolu- tionary strategy, but precisely this ABC was completely violated during the March events ... The offensive was in reality launched by the Social-Democratic police- man Hoersing. This should have been utilized in order to unite all the workers for defence, for self- protection, even begin to with, a very modest resistance.

Had the soil proved favourable, had the agitation met with favourable it would response, then have been possible to pass over to the General Strike.

If the events continue to un- fold further, if the masses rise, if the ties among the workers grow stronger, if their temper lifts, indecisions and while de- moralization seize the camp of the foe-then comes the time to issue the slogan to pass over to the offensive. should But the unfavourable, should soil prove the conditions and the moods of the masses fail to correspond to the more resolute slogans, then it is necessary to sound a retreat back to previously. and to fall prepared positions. sday March 1, 1972 Above: one of the many demonstratio crats and Communists against the 'cou Scheideman, Brey, Molkenbuhr, Braun al A five part series by JACK GALE ‹ 'Therewith we have gained this, that we proved our ability to probe the working masses, we strengthened their internal and, what is most important, we have raised the party's authority for giving wise leadership under all circumstances." The action of the German leadership meant that the revo- lutionary and dynamic minority of the working class was counterposed to the majority of the working class. A policy of defence could have united the workers. A premature offensive them. divided Trotsky was not condemning the German communists for making mistakes. As he pointed out, the Bolsheviks made many mistakes during the 'July days' of 1917. What he was fighting was the elevation of mistakes into a system, the development of what he called 'hysterical revolu- tionism' into which the KAPD: had already sunk. It was necessary to grasp why the leadership of a European Communist Party could make that sort of mistake. Trotsky pointed out that the particular conditions of Russia— weak bourgeoisie and a a developed revolutionary party- enabled the power to • be taken with relative ease. This led the leaders of the young mass Com- munist Parties in post - war Europe to underestimate the political and strategic tasks. in. Co the struggle for power. 'The conclusion drawn out of it up monstrations of 1920. This one in Berlin t the 'council' system. Below: A group of Soc Braun and Löbe. ‹ GALE on the rise of German fascism the discussion on the German Third Congress question at the of the International, therefore, was: 'Had there been in Germany in 1918 and 1919 a Communist Party comparable in strength to which existed in that March, 1921, it is quite probable that the proletariat would have assumed power as early as January or March 1919. But there was no such party. The proletariat suffered defeat.

Out of the experience of this defeat the Communist Party grew up. Once arisen, if it tried in 1921 to act in the manner that the Communist Party should have in acted 1919, it would have been battered to pieces.'

What the theorists of the 'offensive' were really saying was developing that the world crisis would revolutionize workers, therefore as long as the communists kept up the offen- sive the 'economic lash' would eventually drive workers to its support. The strategic task of winning the majority of the working class could be ignored.

When, as happened later in 1921, capitalism's economic situation improved, these 'offen- sive' advocates were at a loss.

As Trotsky warned: 'Elements this into sort easily pass their opposites at the very first turn of events" The Communist International therefore turned the German in Communist Party onto the tactic of the United Front. This opened of wup a new epoch of Communist called jointly by Social Domo.

up of Social Democrat leaders, from left, work. agitation, propaganda, organization, winning the confi- dence of workers in day-to-day struggles. Only by winning over the majority of the working class was it possible to create the political premise for the conquest of power. In this way, the Com- munists were able to win over many Social Democratic workers.

This was crucial as in 1921 and 1922 a tide of reaction spread over Europe. The Tories victorious were in • Britain, Poincare's right-wing national bloc ruled in France. Germany a bourgeois In with an admixture government of Social Democrats in it, gave way to the direct bourgeois rule of the big capitalist Cuno, while Mussolini's assumption 1922 saw of power in Italy. But in 1923, the situation in Germany changed drastically. When the Cuno government could not keep up the repara- tions payments fixed at Ver- sailles, Poincare occupied the Ruhr. The ensuing economic crisis cracked Germany's social structure. Germany was again brought to the verge of revolution. The mark's rate of exchange had been four to the dollar at the end of 1918. • By July 1, 1923 it was 160,000 to the dollar. • By August 1 it was 1 million.

• By November 1 it was an in- credible 130,000 million to the dollar. The working class faced star- vation and middle-class savings were wiped out. The Communist Party had won many members and gained the confidence of a large section of the German working class. The way was open for the conquest of power. But, faced with asudden change in the character of the struggle, the Party leaders clung to the old tactic. The United Front was transformed from a tactic into a fetish. dor. The entire extent of the German Communist Party's action was to form a coalition with the left Social Democrats of step which Trotsky Saxonya had explicitly warned against, unless it was to be a prelude to the seizure of power. At point, the party one leadership did fix a date for insurrection, but leader, Brander, counselled against and the CC revoked its decision.

From being the vanguard of the working class, the German Community Party became the tail of the left Social Democrats.

This permitted the initiative to be seized by the right. Acting under the Emergency Powers Act, the central govern- ment ejected the 'red' Saxon and proscribed the government Brandler, Communists. Thal- heimer and other party leaders fled : to Moscow while American capitalism entered the scene with the Dawes Plan and the situa- tion was again stabilized.

For the first time a communist mass party had remained para- lysed when capitalism was dis- integrating and a revolutionary situation existed. But the situation in the Com- munist International was very different from what it had been at the Third Congress. Instead of the careful analysis, firmness and assistance being given to the German Communists, had as been the case in 1921, all the Fifth Congress did was to place all the blame on Brandler.

But Brandler was not solely to blame. The strongest advocate of not leading the German masses to revolution, but of actually holding them back was Joseph Stalin. In a letter to Zinoviev, then chairman of the Communist International and Stalin's ally against Trotsky, Stalin wrote: 'If today. in Germany the power, so to speak, falls and the communists seize hold of it, they will fall with a crash. That is the best case. And, at the worst, they will be smashed to pieces and thrown back. The whole thing is not that Brandler to wants educate the masses but that the bourgeoisie, plus the right Social Democrats will surely transform the lessons-the demonstration— into a general battle (at this moment all the chances are on their side) and exterminate them.

'Of course, the fascists are not asleep, but it is to our interests that they attack first; that will rally the whole working class around the communists ... In my opinion, the Germans must be curbed and not spurred on."

That was the voice, not of the Russian Revolution but of the privileged, conservative, bureau- cratic clique then launching its onslaught against Trotsky.

That was the voice that was to trust the British trade union bureaucrats against the British workers, that was to urge the Chinese Communist Party the bloc of four lasses along was to result in their massacre at the hands of Chiang Kai-shek, and that - nine years later — was to launch the bloody war of extermination against the leaders of the Russian Revolution.

CONTINUED

1. 'Left-Wing Childishness and Petty-Bourgeois Mentality' in Collected Works', Vol 27. p.340. 2. 'The School of Revolutionary Strategy' July 1921 in 'First Five Years of the Com- munist International Vol 1.

pp.20-21. 3. For the origin of the KAPD see earlier articles in this series. 4. 'Floodtide' December 1921 in 'First Five Years of the Cl' p.78. Vol 2. 5. 'Paul Levi and some Lefts' January 1922 in 'First Five Years of the Cl' Vol 2. p.88.

6. See 'First Five Years of the Communist International' Vol 2. p.325. 7. In Leon Trotsky's 'Lessons of October' p.13. Also in Robert Black's quoted 'Stalinism in Britain'. p.38.

Jackson, with award and Gener presentations We live in a society based on competition. Rather than confront the extent to which this is destructive of human potential, the pervading cul- ture makes competition art, a virtue. Man is set against other and ultimately himself arallist what we are too is te s fair and exciting business of free It amounts really enterprise. the old maxim— a tair neld anc favour, Sala Ine elephant as he danced among the chickens'.

Prizes, awards, accolade, and drooling doled sycophantic are

BO OX

is bent on bestowing greatness- the arbiters of greatness the men themselves. And vcous cuce o sel-oralse. no section of the population more prepared, more obsequious, self-congratu- loathsomely latory man WOre ol

SLOW

business. They selves to fall over themselves.

With 90 per Lactors and 70 per cent of television and and producers out of work, there was an added dimension of irony in grotesquely

DICUCIL

tious Albert Hal cerenon television shown on at which handed out to those prizes were who should feel rewarded enough at naving been lucky enouga lo work and create. Society Arts President Lord Film The Television Mountbatten—makes the awards.

superlatives flow 1ke monsoon bit like this: which _ - now Laotes bertener have the overwhelming, fantastic, pleasure and deep delight yUu actor writer/director/oroducer etc., who has un- waveringly dedicated himself/herself more any advancement, the creativity; the 1 and Christopher Plummer at the Society

BY ANNA TATE

integrity, the courageous objec- tivity of our profession.'

You think to yourself: That's funny, I thought he said that the last person he intro- about duced. He did. And the one after, and the one after that. By have begun to this time you wonder whether the English language contains enough words of flattery to last out the evening.

The pattern is always the same.

They get stars who will introduce the stars who will receive star Then there must always prizes. be one attraction. This year was the year of the old. Dame Sybil Thorndike, bless her, was brought twinkling, aged 93, on, eyes tapping, walking stick to • the delight of the dinner-jacketed audience who leapt rapturously to their feet to applaud her loud and long. What they were really themselves, applauding was applauding the notion of the • Society of Film and Television Arts eternal valiant trouper, the actor for all seasons, mythology of the greasepaint, the ideology of success. In spite of it all, the old dear was quite heartwarming, if only for all the mistakes she made with bewildered charm. Is he director?' she the chattered happily as film producer Joseph Janni came up to receive his award for the Best Film of the Year. She then cheerfully upset protocol by insisting on shaking his hand before HRH Princess Alexandra could get to it, then Shaking the Princess's hand her- self. an annual tragi- Viewed as comedy, the SFTA awards could perhaps pass as a fair reflection of the level which humanity has reached. It is hard for people to accept this view. It's all meant to be just good fun and exciting to see stars being stars and passing on the benefits of star- dom to each other. They even went to some lengths to show that on certain vital issues competition and co- operation were intertwined. Thus, in the seemingly true spirit of democracy, cutting across com- the televid on acard foia lirats, went to: 'All members of the news teams of Independent Television and the BBC-cameramen, sound- men, and reporters-for their courageous coverage of events in N Ireland.' What should perhaps have been if we are to obey the added, spırit in which this award was decided, would have been an award to the army, the Protest- Catholics and other ants, citizens of N Ireland, dead or the events alive, for providing which led the 'courageous to coverage'. Perhaps also a prize for those ITA and BBC author- ities who ensured that a portion 'courageous coverage" of the never reached our home screens.

Workers Press, Wednesday March 1, 1972 PAGE 9 In the past few weeks there The businessmen and govern- has been all sorts of pompous of Spanish ment organizers rubbish written sport do about everything they can ques- tion-rigging in parliament.

to keep in behind the Franco and The capitalist regime. Anyone who steps out press MPs have been trying to paint of line is sharply dealt with.

the picture that questions After a live television broad- without notice are, fact, cast of the handball match between spontaneously asked from the Atletico de Madrid floor of the house. and Eguia, a team from the But a quick look at Hansard, Basque provinces, Spanish tele- the official Eguia's record parlia- vision interviewed trainer, Soto Azcarate. Having ment, will demonstrate that of the answered the great proportion ques- usual sporting tioning well prepared in questions, he shocked the advance. interviewer by asking him Take this entry from one of when there was going to be an last week's sessions. amnesty for political prisoners.

Sir John Gilmour, Tory MP, asks a junior minister at the Scottish Office this very devious question: •What percentage of cattle hides is represented by those with open warble holes which have been presented for pro- cessing in Scotland in each of the months from April to July in the last five years?' What's a warble hole, you might well ask? And indeed, know what a hole is, how do you manage to warble around carry statistics like that? But the Mr minister, Buchanan-Smith, The fascist sports authorities wasn't action immediately. horsed by this amazing ques- went into of The organizing committee tion. the National Handball Federa- Quick as a flash he replied: 'Warble infestation tion has suspended Azcarate is not for life. notifiable disease. under- however, Moreover the Federation has stand, that in the last five years the percentage sent a proposal to the National Delegation of Physical Educa- of hides with warble open and Sport that he should holes has ranged from 0.63 per tion be banned from taking part in 1968 to 2.48 per cent cent in in 1971. any sport whatsoever. Having from Now it might be that been sacked Buchanan-Smith walks around his job for protesting on behalf of jailed with warble hole statistics on the opposition to Franco, he has now been fined the tip of his tongue, but I doubt it. 30,000 pesetas by the govern- If department. ment security the money is not paid immedi- ately it will cost him several months in prison. Another meeting at the top of curious significance. William Rees-Mogg, editor of "The Times', was sitting in his office last week when he Police in San Diego, Cali- fornia, received a phone call from are to train like government spokesman. Japanese the old senior samurai — He was told about the emer- sword-wielding military caste Benon Withino hotroduce leus.

in preparation for the within hours to Republican National Conven- ensure the legality of the British army tion to be held in August.

Ulster. in They are expecting an inflow 'The Times' was tipped off of 'tens of thousands' of hostile and, of course, a sympathetic demonstrators. To meet it the police will editorial appeared the follow- body wear armour day parlia- ing propping up 40 suits of which have been ment's astonishing decision to ordered from Japan: Five whip through hundred police officers are retrospective to legislation without so much as undergo 52 hours' training or goodbye' to the 'hello' each, in preparation for the electorate. Convention.

LEON TROTSKY:

Germany 1931/1932 Paperback £1.25—cloth £1.87} Where Is Britain Going? Paperback 37}p Revolution Betrayed Paperback 624p-cloth £1.05 Problems of the Chinese Revolution Paperback £1.12}- cloth £1.874 Permanent Revolution : Results and Prospects Paperback 75p In Defence of Marxism Paperback 75p Lessons of October Paperback 60p Postage 10p per book, 3p per 186a Clapham High Street, London ŠW4 7UG.

Union Collections in Heath's homeland PAGE 10 Workers Press, Wednesday Mar

FROM STEPHEN JOHNS

THE GLASGOW march has had its first 'check-up'. After 24 days on the road and 300 miles from the point of departure, a Yorkshire doctor has pronounced the contingent basically fit. "The march has gone very well from the health point of view..

There are the usual problems with feet and muscles, but it has not demoralized the marchers,' he told me. 'Very few of them grumbled.

Yet a march of 500 miles is a considerable task for people not used to this kind of effort. The this determination to carry through obviously comes from their belief in the aims of the campaign. This is essential on a journey of this kind.' The doctor-who gave his services free because he agrees with the policies of the Young Socialists-also paid tribute to foot specialists, miner the two John and Keith Hampson Radford from Tyneside. "They have been doing fine work. The marchers could not go on without the daily attention they give I have been talking to some of the people who, despite their injuries, have been sticking with the march. One, Ken Gannon, had just The factory estate between Margate and the marchers passing through

FROM IAN YEATS

THREE NEW recruits joined the march at Ramsgate for the 26-mile third-day hike to Herne Bay on Monday. One of them is a young miner from Snowdown colliery. 'This good march is for a thing, 17-year-old John Strand told me the day after he saw the Young Socialists pass through Ramsgate. 'The Tories are putting SO many out of work so that if the miners or anyone else go on strike again, say "If they can you don't like it there's plenty more outside". 'The basic policies of the Tories are for the rich man. I miners should have think the hung on for the extra money, but Gormley and Daly were too frightened to go on.' John has finished his mining apprenticeship, but full time he still takes home only f10 a week.

'Something's got to be done,' he told me. 'The Tories are running everything to ruin.'

Twenty - year-old Dennis Danton's wife, who is young urged him about to have a baby to join the march. Said Dennis, who has been since December: out of work 'We were both at the meeting and what the speaker was saying just hit her. She turned 1 to me and said "You're going on that esday March 1, 1972 completed today's 12-mile stretch deep-rooted with blister on the underside of his left foot that has burst.

'I forget about the pain when I walk. I'm going to stick it all the way to London. What's the alternative — going back to Carlisle and the dole. This march has opened my eyes to a lot of things-I won't go back to that existence. The movement in the Socialists is determined Young and I am going to show myself worthy of it by marching all the way.' Robina Bright (18) is one other marcher who walked on despite physical difficulty. She has a swollen knee, but has kept on the road when she can.

Robina joined at Thirsk us with her friend Susan. I came on the march basically because of the job problem. night-school to after went ordinary school for two years and trained short-hand typist. as a I left with the But when I could necessary qualifications, not get the job to match.

I've had more jobs than I can in the remember. I ended up local chicken factory pulling the insides out of the birds all day.

It's not the kind of life I want to lead. So when the march came through, we decided to go on it and fight back. 'The march has got better as argate and Broadstairs, where trade unionists a march". She would have come too if she wasn't pregnant.

"This march is going to put the Tories in their place and show the country that youngsters are They just vandals. want not something to do. I've just got married and I'm on the dole. Not having a job makes me feel as if I'm not the one who wears the trousers. It's making me sick being out of work. The Tories are the cause of all this unemployment. 'They're turning the country into a police state. They're even trying to stop free speech and we always had that. - 'There'll be no change until we get rid of them.' Dennis's views found un- confirmation expected in the manager of Ramsgate labour exchange: 'The majority of the people on our books are in the full bloom of being able to earn a living, but they're not able to. They're not layabouts but there's just no work for them.' Unemployment in Ramsgate and its twin holiday resort of Margate is running at 7.2 per cent and 12.9 per cent respec- tively and creeping up. In the largest of the E Kent Margate, with 50,000 towns, people and a strong Labour bias, marchers' collecting the we have gone along. The support we have got has encouraged me a lot. I never knew that workers could come together in this way.

It makes me trouble and keep going when can? Walking 300 miles, sometimes through empty countryside, is a . considerable physical and mental task. The fact that the youth do it generally with good spirit, is political tribute their a to determination and courage— particularly on the part of the girls and those marchers plagued by foot trouble. Despite the Tories and any Labourites who are against us these youth would rather fight— and the battle won't stop in London. After that they will go back to their areas and build for the better social future working class. In Chesterfield on Monday night, we were quartered at the local YMCA. The accommodation was arranged by local Labour councillors and the YMCA secre- tary offered his building free of charge. told me he backed the He march. 'Whatever your outlook no one who stands for this essential right of the working people can with these youth. I disagree couldn't see them without a roof is not their heads. This over much, but it's the least I could

ROVE

ED nionists collected money when they saw

DENNIS DANTON

gave 50p saying: I've pensioner more than any of you, so good luck to you' Margate's warm welcome con- trasted sharply astonished reception at Broad- stairs—Heath's birthplace.

In the quaint and expensive main street, rouged women in fur coats with poodles on leads puffed out their cheeks with out- roared the marchers rage as and 'Socialism In' 'Heath Out' down the narrow streets. There isn't a single Labour councillor on the 15-man local authority and Thanet (Deal, Rams- Sandwich, Broadstairs, returned gate) has never . a ". в л After 300 miles most of the marchers ar feet have been tended every night

JOHN STRAND

Labour MP. Well under a third 20,000 population of the are working class-the rest are pro- foundly small-town bourgeois.

According to the local news- many of Broadstairs' paper, citizens are retired and deeply conservative. Mr R. Franklin kept working until he was 75. He was un- employed before World War I, so he knows what it's like. But he told me as the march past: I don't suppose clattered Broadstairs has ever seen any- thing like this before. I admire marchers for having the courage of their convictions.

'The root of the trouble in . a society is that. things are pro...for

WE DEMAND

THE

RIGHT

TO

WORK

archers are still in good condition. Their duced for profit and not for use.

If they were produced for use, we'd have the best of every- thing and everyone would per- form some useful function.'

The chill of Broadstairs was marchers mellowed when the reached West Wood Industrial Estate the outskirts of on Margate. Bill Billingham, Sign and Dis- play Union shop steward at the Sericol Screen works, Printing the march and raised saw a among the 40 men at collection the factory. Just what unemployment can mean in Tory hands was brought home to the marchers when they passed the Rovex toy factory.

The workers all had pay stopped last week for refusing to agree to 12-hour shifts and now the management say they'll close change down unless the men their minds. Collections were being raised for our march on the estate from the Rank Engineering and EMCO factories and donations of £2 were handed over by two shop stewards from

AUEW

funds. Farmers, and greengrocers along the route into butchers Margate handed over a sack of vegetables and a large parcel of meat to the marchers who were offered a free the room at Welcome Cafe, Birchington, to cook and eat their food before ro.-forging.on .to. Herne Bay..

FROM DAVID MAUDE

of the march. The Swansea-London march, AFTER THE WELSH valleys like N Its counterparts in the and the S has been subjected to —full of strong working-class a virtual press black-out.

people we are approaching A story written a week ago the of industrial centres for the area's main newspaper Britain and the prospect of our Lord Thomson's "Western Mail' fight sharpening up even more is believed to have been 'spiked', is drawing new strength from discarded. We have been photo- the marchers. graphed several times, with little Newport will not forget us.

result. Joblessness the Newport in The death of a local budgie travel-to-work is only made the front of area one page Welsh paper the other day, but slightly less severe than in the -5.8 cent compared valleys- per apparently unemployed youth to the Rhondda. marching for basic working- But there are 29 unemployed class principle is not news.

workers chasing each vacancy in Four newspapers and two news the town itself, and 4,516 people agencies were invited to the press are registered as out of a job in conference; the Newport- only the area as a whole. based 'South Wales Argus' From Pontypridd, Where we turned up. enjoyed the hospitality of the man from "Argus' The was engineers' district interested in the union com- state of march passed through the Clive Norris' feet and we secretary Treforest industrial whether picked to we up anyone estale and from Newport applause waves from many the march. on factory windows. But Clive's explanation of the Soon we will be in the farm- march's politics largely passed lands of he ship hills ind leaving him by, and when invited behind us the question of Welsh steep two the slag-heaps of the valleys. marchers-Brian Williams from Nantgarw colliery which we Swansea and John Williams from passed on the way, is the last pit said that Swansea Treorchy—he we shall see for some time. wasn't much of a local angle for At Newport, we held first Newport. our Contacts the with local press conference since start other

HIT TO WORK

1972 Unemployed youth marching for a basic right apparently isn't considered ne

FROM PHILIP WADE

Almost 1,200 workers are on the dole. The prospects for these WE MARCHED into the W Mid- men and women? Well, the local lands on Monday, that of Department of Employment offers Britain which used to boast the a grand total of 49 jobs. highest and the In wages lowest other words, 25 almost unemployment. workers chase every single job.

I had visions for this Throughout the 1960s the great the exchange region prospered the man- main place once, as ager told 'One things industry, car production and says will the reverse ree he told but component manutacturing, true,' panded. me down- But-as we saw in Cannock, a heartedly. small mining town ten miles out- Cannock didn't suffer drastic- Wolverhampton, the boom ally from heavy pit side closures has finished. Recession has because car component firms like arrived in its wake, hitting light Lucas moved there and employed industries particularly hard. 1,500 workers. The dally paper that ›ads the fight agalnst the Torles. £20.28 for 12 months (312 Issues) £10.14 for 6 months (156 Issues) £5.07 for 3 months (78 Issues) If you want to take Workers Press twice a week the rates are: £1.56 for 3 months (24 issues) £6.24 for 12 months (96 issues) Fill in the form below NOW and send to: Circulation Dept., Workers Press, 186a Clapham High St., London, SW4 7UG. I would like to take out a subscription to Workers Press.

Days required

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Or Full subscription (six days) for months. Amount enclosed £ newspapers in the area of each day's march have with met similar responses. For Tonn, incidentally, it is not the first time he has travelled the roads for work. • Three weeks before the start of our march, John (20) and fellow-marcher. Geofi Hunt, : 18, hiked up to the BP oil-refinery sites Baglan and Bay at Llandarog in search of a job.

John has been out of work since September, after being made redundant from a steel- erection labouring job at Baglan Bay. Geoff has been out since after giving December up an underground job at Cwm colliery because of fears for his health from the dust and danger.

He told me: 'We decided to go looking for work. 'Some of the way we thumbed lifts, but we had to walk about seven miles to Llandarcy, where the security refused to let us in.

Then we walked eight miles to Baglan Bay, there was nothing doing. 'We had to walk ten miles back? Their experience gives the lie to the Tory slander that youth who are unemployed do not want work, which is precisely why the press aren't interested.

WORK

idered news by S Wales news editors But in the last year a clothing factory has closed completely and an engineering factory has moved its foundry to Tamworth, near Birmingham. The youth fare no better. In Cannock there are 80 young workers on the dole with few vacancies, according to the youth employment officer.

With male unemployment well over 7 per cent, Cannock wor- kers have been dealt another blow recently. GEC-AEI's at Stafford, which employs Can- nock workers, is to lay off 400 shortly. The Tories captured the con- stituency in June 1970 when they ousted Jennie (now Baroness) Lee. But the council remains Labour-controlled and has been since 1945. The marchers warmly thank Cannock miners who provided at short notice the facilities for a midday meal. The Labour Party Young Socialists also turned out to greet us, although in great con- fusion. They had seen a picture Guardian' in "The about the march. For days they had been trying—not surprisingly in vain -to find out from the Labour Party where we were! 'We wanted to lay on reception for you,' said chairman Stan Hall. Physically some of the marchers suffer from heavy blistering. But the Red Cross has done a com- petent job in helping them to overcome such difficulties.

The marchers keenly follow all the news in the Workers Press about the magnificent per- formances of the other marches.

Like them, we have learned that through our day-by-day experi- encés on the march, it is possible considerably increase to our political understanding of the significance of the Right-to-Work campaign in the struggle to make the Tory government resign.

Such experiences are more than adequate compensation for the physical difficulties of the march. Workers Press, Wednesday March 1, 1972 PAGE 11

BBC 1

9.15 Schools. 10.45 Boomph with Becker. 11.05 Schools. 12.25 Nai Zindagi Naya Jeevan. 12.55 Disc a Dawn. 1.30 Chigley. 1.45 News, weather. 2.05 Schools. 4.15 Play School. 4.40 Jackanor 55 Snow White: 5.20 Unsolved Mysteries. 5.44 Crystal Tipps 5.50 News, weather. 6.00 NATIONWIDE. Your Region tonight.

6.50 TOM AND JERRY.

7.00 OWEN MD. Way of LHe. Part 1.

7.25 STAR TREK. Balance of Terror.

8.10 SOFTLY, SOFTLY. A Policeman's Lot Story 2: You Pay Your Money. 9.00 NEWS, weather. 9.20 SPORTSNIGHT. Features FA Cup highlights.

10.45 24 HOURS.

11.20 THE SKY AT NIGHT. Mars—a dynamic world.

11.40 Weather.

BBC 2

11.00 Play School. 5.35 Open University. 7.05 Man in his Place.

7.30 NEWSROOM, Weather. 8.00 MAN ALIVE. The Right Time to Die: Euthanasla.

8.50 A SONG FOR ST. DAVID. Stuart Burrows, Pendyrus Male Choir.

9.20 VINTAGE HOLLYWOOD:

'TROUBLE IN

PARADISE'.

Miriam Hopkins, Kay Francis, Herbert Marshall. 1930s comedy about international crooks.

10.40 LOOK STRANGER. Mother Thames OBE, Mrs. Dorathea Woodward-Fisher. 11.20 NEWS, Weather.

11.25 LATE NIGHT LINE-UP.

ITV

10.20 Schools. 2.32 Living writers. 3.00 Houseparty. 3.10 Tea break. 3.40 Edgar Wallace. 4.40 Paulus. 4.55 Get this. 5.20 Tight- rope. 5.50 News. 6.00 TODAY. London magazine programme. .

6.35 CROSSROADS.

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7.30 CORONATION STREET.

8.00 CADE'S COUNTY. Crisscross.

9.00 CALLAN. 'That'll Be the Day.

10.00 NEWS.

10.30 MAN AT THE TOP. Charlty Begins at Home.

11.30 PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING.

12.00

WHAT THE PAPERS SAY.

12.15 EAST MEETS WEST.

BBC-1

except: ing Scotland. 11.42 News, a thref. 4.55 Gwlad weather. 5.15 Parsley. 6.00 6.50 Wales .02.a0 Heddiw. 1:20 Scene around 9 the sky at night. Tresarn. hanner. 11.45 lands today Look asth oints Mid- lands today

SCOTLAND:

10.25 west, Spotlight they 11.42 Scotland Around Weather, south News, 2.30 Modern studies. 6.00 Renort_ weather.

REGIONAL ITV

HTV Wales and the West as above Women today. 3.50 Katie R Stewart cooks Grasshopper island. Tinkertainment. 6.01 Report Skippy. Ondon. 10.30 West. 6.35

HTV

today. London. Alex- above ander. 11.00 Wrestling.

HTV

West. 3.35 Tea break. 4.05 Houseparty. 55 London. 4.19 4.30

SCOTTISH:

10.20 3.4S 000s. 3.30 Crossroads. Day Pinky and Perky. Crossroads. 7:000 day. 6.30 Unio.ssity Dick challenge Dateline: 4.55 London. early. London. 10.30 Van Datelin Plus 6.20 News: 11.55 weathest Dyke. Wrestling. 11.45 Tam. University challenge Scotsport. 11.30 Late

ANGLIA:

3.55 Newsroom. 4.00 call. Wrestling. break. 11.35 4.30 Romper 6.00 4.55 About Anglia.

YORKSHIRE:

10.20 Schools. 2.33 6.35 London. 8.00 Mannix. 9.00 Europear journey. 3.00 ded. P3.55 London. 10.30 Alexander. 11.00 House and Garden. Wrestling. Calendar news. 3.45 Women day 4.15 Crossroads. 10.20 4.40

CHANNEL 20

Sc0015 4.05 Rupert. 4,55 London. 6.00 Calendar. Paulus. Poon. 6.00 Tea break. 4.55 University chal- News, lenge. London. 10.30 the Alex- Towards rea ander its weatest. 11.00 Wrest- 2000. Crossroads. 6.35 easter, 10.32 7.30 London. 10.30 Weather. Both

GRAMPIAN:

11.00 Schools. 3.38 11.45 Epilogue. News. 3.40 Smith family. wresting. 1.10 News, weather. Yoga. 4.40 Enchanted an Ass 4.55 Channel London. 6.00

WESTWARD

As except: kramnian 5.35th London! 6.10 8.00 Shann week. 3.55 Honeybun. 4.20 6.35 Shari's Faith Por life. 6.00 News. 11.47 1.30 11.52 Weather. •ee. 9.00 London. 10.30 Perspec- news. Schools.

ULSTER:

10.2°4.50 11.15 Wrestling. 11.4 11.45 Music Romper highlanders. Evening London. reports. What's London. 10.30 Tommy Cooper. 11.00 Professional European journey.

HIS: 10.20

3.05' House and den. 4.15 Schools. 3.50 Hamd- Newsroom. 3.45 Women to- den. 4555 Loi 013% Cross- mawr. 4.40 day. 4.15 CrosS.00 Today Paulus. London. 6.01 dydd. London. 6.00 at 6.30 Report Wales. Smith 6.30 University chalther Lindis family. 7.00 London. 10.30 Alex 10.30 The London. 11.00 Wrestling. ander. 1.45 farne. 11.00 Wrestling. 11.45 Weather. News. 12.00 Revolution now. I would like information about Fill in the form below and send to NATIONAL

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Name Address

PAGE 12 Workers Press, Wednesday M At a press conference in London yesterday, chairman Jack Callard described in meti- culous and sombre detail the problems facing the £1,500m international corporation.

"The continuing and powerful influence of inflation throughout the world and the currency prob- months, lems the later of provided an unfavourable back- ground to the growth of world industrial production and trade in 1971. *The performance of the world's chemical industry affected these adverse economic conditions. World chemical production increased by under 4 per cent in 1971 compared with almost 5 per cent in 1970 and 81 per cent per annum in the decade up to 1970.

'The reduction in growth rate aggravated the already difficult trading conditions resulting from world-wide excess capacity for many chemical products?

Trading profit for the year was £145m, a drop of £14m on the previous year. Sales rose from £1,462m in 1970 to £1,524m last year, although the percentage rise was smaller than enjoyed in previous years. Commenting on the fibres division, the annual report says: 'Poor trading conditions in the textile industry persisted, fibre prices declined further and pro- fits were again very poor, re- flecting low selling prices and increases in costs.' The situation is little better in the chemicals division. Busi- is described as "sluggish' ness and the report says that 'of in- creasing concern is the high price of electricity, for the production of chlorine, compared with the prices the continent of on Europe' The question of Europe and the Common Market is a recur- ring theme in the accounts.

appears that ICI donated £5,000 to the British Council of the European Movement. This dona- tion must be added the to thousands of pounds which ICI and other large corporations paid in have i advertisements supporting British entry.

In its drive to maintain profits, ICI is pursuing a policy of heavy redundancies and higher produc- tivity. The report says: "Good pro- gress was made in improving productivity and efficiency of all efforts are continuing, and these manufacturing units, The directors also welcome the introduction of the Industrial Relations Act, but hope that its 'existing procedures will own

LATE NEWS

NEWS DESK

01-720 2000

CIRCULATION

01-622 7029 Inesday March 1, 1972 Right-to-Work Campaign

RALLIES

SE LONDON

Thursday March 2, 8 p.m. Havill St Hall, Havill St, SE5. Speakers: Molyneaux (T&GWU, in: a i of Imperial Chemical Industries, Britain's largest company, O'Brien (Lambeth Trades Council) Malone (SE London "s profits and sales. The report is bound to have a serious Federation secretary) Share market value.

MAGNIFICENT

for the

WILLESDEN

support Right-to- Young Socialists' Thursday March 2, 8 p.m. Work continues Trades and Labour Hall, marches to High St, NW10 flow in from workers all over (nr Willesden bus garage) the country. Belfast dockers have stated

WANDSWORTH

will be they sending a group Thursday March 2, 8 p.m unemotoved workers St. Peter's Church Hall, Ireland the Empire Pool, Beechcroft Rd, Wembley, rally on March 12 of Dockers car fooling bec tube latest issue Speakers: dockers' Voice - Belfast (Secretary SW newssheet-calls for generous support for the collection to raise

T&GWU

convener the unemployed workers fares to Triang Ltd) Teroka (Mitcham

AUEW

In Coventry, the AUEW shop branch) stewards' quarterly collected Dunlop's, also and

OIDIOOKS,

gave Thursday March 2, 7.30 p.m.

From Birmingham the AUEV 'Ship Inn BW3 shop stewards sent £20. and members of the transport

W LONDON

and engineering unions BW3 Friday March 3, 8 p.m. night shift have donated £15.05. Aberdeen AUEW has sent Camden St, NW1 and Bucksburn Labour Party has from Paddington Speakers given £2.

NUR

branch; Socialists Young Derby From Workers «• outer tace unosists comes £17.50

DAGENHAM

Leicester ASW No 3 Sunday March 5, • 17 a.m branch sent in ts. Small Hal. Rotax workers Hemel Barking Town Hall Hempstead raised £10 for the marchers and the unemployed

E LONDON

Finsbury Park branch Sunday March 5, 3 p.m. £2.50. 'Windsor Castle In Union London of Post Silvertown Way, members Office Workers canning lown International Garret Exchange have had two collections of £2

ACTON

and f7. Monday March 6, 8 p.m Students in the london Co-op Hall

ICI CHAIRMAN JACK CALLARD

have also pledged support.

From Hiah S the London College Printing, Sponsored • by West Brompton sent f10; Nor- tors last year received a total of students have the continue with

ASLEF.

Chiswick No. 5 AUEW. £647,000. College industrial relations problems'.

And to this total can. W00G recinea Although the talks be added another £639,000 for Students' union gave £4 and company

SOUTHALL

offered accommodation. 'in Monday March 6. 8 p.m. glibly about greater emciency and and gratuities • Dension 1co sec. Mary College, Lon- restraining such Oueen Shackleton Hall, costs, execurve service don, appear have directors. members have Shackleton Rd himself lected £13.50 and

AUEW

fluenced receives the Speakers Trico-Folberth salary of £48,330 members £7.50. reveals that direc- shop stewards' committee; lne report

AEC

shop stewards' commit- Paul Stevenson

ETU

tee; Macfarlane steware Lang personal capacity); Mr Myers, Cuckoo Estate Tenants Gary Gurmeet, Editor, Hanwell: 'Keep Left'.

GREETINGS TO THE

Said Hegarty: 'He 16 and fired the Lowaras the armed landing of the back pitched with his years flats.' Coventry Right-to-Work allel told had mittee will greet marchers on nis comes treed trom nanos ourstrecoed. forces, one One Ilan barbed wire barricade When looked there man tribunal a priest and the Liverpool-London route or that been shot, Sunday blood on his saw three Saracen another man tried January Thursday, March 2, 3.30 p.m.

led by a ferrer give him help. Another building dived for and vehicles, Derry CUll

LUVE.

Sportsman Arms, Allesley armoured man ran into the middle

TO O

ine tnere was anotner voney Cal. Precinct, Tribunal yesterday. of shots, and brickwork park and at the orries soeee into a cal car Hegarty fell down. started gesticulating. Coventry, will be heid. an open-air meeting his *He suddenly grabbed said the youth had got The youth had cer- Rossville his hand been holding Lainy nol liato. 111l Saracen thigh and hobbled away. barbed i wire that anything, he added. "The Socialist Labour League stopped and soldiers de- man behind me public meeting ployed from the vehicle, beside low wall unhooked service man And him the sh hind car At 8 p.m public meeting that he saw six shouting to people Get shoulde Incully entered Para will be held at the White Lior and men shot took up cald atter a posinion troopers the the nearside front wheel away from the windows Gosford Green. Speakers They three Bogside. the other went to -they are firing' Sud include G Healy, SLL nationa went offside. denly four yards Derek Tucker One soldier stomach and elled his when uncle was a volley of shots. (45). who said he had took up a firing positior Young Socialists

WEATHER

FEBRUARY

National Right-to-Work Campaign

FUND FINAL **

and Scotland will have scattered showers periods. W of Scotland will mainly with will have sunny periods and some ous eAStone ain otty con- Glasgow to London and Liverpool to London marches scattered showers effort. ous arrive in pleted our target of be dry sunny another raised

NORTHAMPTON

the over the top! It really is magnifi- Clearance occasional drizzle. cent. Sunday March 5 Temperatures everywhere will Particularly a time when

COME TO OUR RALLY

be about normal. Outlook for Thursday and Friday: Lurieu lo Lut

SUNDAY MARCH 5

youth marching their way from Changeable With some rain Glasgow, Liverpool, Swansea and The Guildhall times and sunny periods. Tem- Deal to this London, Northampton, 7.00 p.m. peratures near normal. support is or greal assistance and enormously encouraging. BrOThing political There doubt support for the Written by Tom Kempinski 12-page paper. Every CanO MUSI now made expand our followed by a meeting circulation and win readers new Speakers: throughout areas G. HEALY (SLL Natlonal Secretary)

JOHN BARRIE

(YS Scotland) waste moment.

CHRISTINE SMITH

from Liverpool) leader of march donations Clapham W GERRY MULHERNE (Shop Steward Triumph-Meriden) Admission 20p PrinCe Pl 186a Clapham High St, London,

SW4 7UG.